4 Bhavani devotees killed as SUV hits pilgrims in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh
Synopsis
Four pilgrims heading to the Sri Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada were mowed down by a speeding SUV after their bus broke down on the highway in Kakinada. The victims — all from Vizianagaram — had already completed their vow and were steps away from a tea stall when the vehicle struck. Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan has called for a full investigation and pledged government support to the families.
Key Takeaways
Four Bhavani devotees — C.
Shivaprasad , and B.R.
Sattibabu — were killed in the accident on 22 October 2026 .
The group was from Vizianagaram district , travelling by bus to the Sri Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada.
The SUV, coming from Etcherla in Srikakulam district, hit the pilgrims after their bus broke down near Ravikampadu Junction , Kathipudi.
One devotee was injured and hospitalised; three died on the spot and a fourth died subsequently.
Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan directed a full investigation and assured government support for bereaved families.
Four Bhavani devotees were killed and one injured after a speeding SUV rammed into a group of pilgrims near Ravikampadu Junction in Kathipudi, Prathipadu constituency, Kakinada district, Andhra Pradesh, on Thursday, 22 October 2026, police confirmed. The victims were part of a bus group from Vizianagaram district travelling to Vijayawada for a religious visit to the Sri Kanaka Durga Temple.
How the Accident Unfolded
The pilgrims were on their way to offer darshan at the Sri Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada when their bus suffered a technical breakdown near Ravikampadu Junction. Several devotees stepped off the halted vehicle and began walking toward a nearby tea stall. At that moment, an SUV travelling at high speed from Etcherla in Srikakulam district struck the group of pedestrians.
Three devotees died on the spot. A fourth succumbed subsequently. According to police, one other devotee sustained injuries and was shifted to a local hospital, while the bodies of the deceased were sent to a government hospital for post-mortem examination.
Victims Identified
Police identified the four deceased as C. Yerraiah (38), L. Sitaram (45), T. Shivaprasad (40), and B.R. Sattibabu (40). All four were from Vizianagaram and had been undertaking a vowed pilgrimage to the Kanaka Durga shrine — one of the most visited temples in Andhra Pradesh, particularly during the ongoing Bhavani season.
Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan Responds
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan expressed deep grief over the tragedy, calling it 'heartbreaking that devotees who had completed their vow and were on their way to have darshan of Kanaka Durga lost their lives midway.' He conveyed condolences to the families of the deceased and personally telephoned the Kakinada District Collector to gather details of the incident.
Kalyan directed authorities to conduct a full-scale investigation and instructed that the injured devotee receive the best available medical treatment. He also assured that the coalition government would extend full support to the bereaved families.
Broader Context and Road Safety Concerns
The incident adds to a recurring pattern of highway fatalities involving pilgrim groups in Andhra Pradesh, where religious travel peaks during temple festival seasons. The stretch near Kathipudi on the Rajamahendravaram–Visakhapatnam highway corridor has seen multiple road accidents in recent years, according to traffic safety records. Advocates for road safety have repeatedly flagged inadequate breakdown protocols for passenger buses — including the absence of warning triangles and reflective gear — as a key contributory factor in such crashes.
Authorities are expected to file an FIR against the driver of the speeding SUV; the status of that vehicle and its occupants was not immediately confirmed in official statements.
Point of View
Pilgrims stepping onto the road with no protective gear or warning markers, and a speeding vehicle providing no margin for error. The political response — condolence calls, investigation orders — is swift, as it always is. What is absent, again, is any structural accountability: why do passenger buses in Andhra Pradesh routinely lack breakdown safety kits, and who enforces the Motor Vehicles Act provisions that mandate them? Until highway safety compliance is treated as a governance priority rather than a post-accident talking point, pilgrim season will continue to produce preventable fatalities at roadside tea stalls.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Kakinada road accident on 22 October 2026?
A speeding SUV struck a group of Bhavani devotees whose bus had broken down near Ravikampadu Junction in Kathipudi, Kakinada district, Andhra Pradesh, killing four and injuring one. The victims were from Vizianagaram and were on their way to the Sri Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada.
Who were the four victims killed in the Kakinada accident?
The four deceased were identified as C. Yerraiah (38), L. Sitaram (45), T. Shivaprasad (40), and B.R. Sattibabu (40), all from Vizianagaram district. Three died at the scene; the fourth died shortly after.
What has Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan said about the Kakinada accident?
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan expressed grief, calling it heartbreaking that the devotees lost their lives after completing their religious vow. He telephoned the Kakinada District Collector, directed a full investigation, and assured that the state government would support the families of the deceased.
Why were the devotees on the road when the accident occurred?
Their bus, which was travelling from Vizianagaram to Vijayawada, developed a technical fault and stopped near Ravikampadu Junction. Several devotees got down and walked toward a nearby tea stall when the speeding SUV struck them.
Which temple were the devotees travelling to?
The group was heading to the Sri Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada — one of Andhra Pradesh's most visited shrines — to fulfil a religious vow during the Bhavani pilgrimage season.
